RESTAURANT CONNECTION

Earlier this month, March 4th to be exact, our good friends at  Los Arroyos Mexican Restaurant celebrated 18 years in business in Santa Barbara.  Back in 1999, Tony Arroyo opened up shop on Figueroa Street in the same location what is now Norton's Pastrami & Deli  and soon after opened another location in Montecito on Coast Village Rd. Here is a little insight on the restaurant and its history in Santa Barbara: We serve fresh, homemade Mexican food crafted each day from the finest ingredients. Tony’s original recipes offer a variety of dishes from traditional fare such as Sopes, Tamales, and Pozole to modern cuisine including the Mama’s Salad with grilled vegetables, our Ceviche with fresh fish, and the Garden Burrito. Los Arroyos Mexican Restaurant and Take Out first opened March 1999 in a small 600 square foot space in Downtown Santa Barbara. Five years later, we opened our second location in Montecito on Coast Village Road. After another five years,...

Formerly Mike's Place, Steve's Patio and Terraza Cafe, is now rebranded as The Patio Cafe. A few weeks ago they announced this on their Facebook page, "Join us for the re-opening of The Patio Café ! We are excited to celebrate this day with you all as we commence a new journey right here in Santa Barbara!". Here is an excerpt from The Restaurant Guy: “The Patio Café is a place where I’d like everyone to feel that they can come and sit down, and feel like they are not just eating at a restaurant, but eating at home, sitting comfortably in their own patio,” said Monrroy. “This place is not just for adults, but for  the entire family and friends. I would like to see my guests feel like they are coming to a familial environment where they can enjoy their time, laugh, and share memories over a meal.” The Patio Café serves freshly prepared entrees, daily soups, sandwiches, salads, specialties, and Sunday brunch. The business is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The...

Gimeal Cafe opened opened this week, located at 5892 Hollister Avenue. That location is the former home of Natural Cafe. Hsin Lee, the chef and owner of Gimeal Cafe has worked with some of Santa Barbara's finest asian cuisine restaurants like China Pavilion , Takenoya, Ahi Sushi, and Mandarin Palace. The food at newly opened Gimeal Cafe is a fusion of Taiwanese and American cuisines. "We serve Bento boxes. It’s quick food for students and businesses in the area. We offer an open area with WiFi so people can study and hang out here. They won’t have to spend a lot of money because the price is not too high," said Hsin. “The food is Taiwanese – American,” says Lee. “We serve Bento boxes. It’s quick food for students and businesses in the area. We offer an open area with WiFi so people can study and hang out here. They won’t have to spend a lot of money because the price is not too high.” Here is a review about Gimeal Cafe in the first few days of opening: ...

Cat Cora, from the Food Network's Iron Chef and her partner Chris Chiarappa recently opened up Mesa Burger in Santa Barbara and they have big ambitions for the new restaurant. “We just said today that we need to find the next location,” Cat Cora explained.   “We want to make 100 of these, go public, and ring the bell on Wall Street,”  she continued.  They developed a wide range of burgers for all tastes, from “chef-y” (the Funk Zone has fried egg, bacon, bourbon-glazed mushrooms, roasted tomato, and more) and Mediterranean (the Sandspit features Kalamata olives and tzatziki sauce) to “powerhouse” (the Goodland comes with a double stack, onion rings, bacon, and a beer brat!) and classic (the simple Mesa). The ingredients are extremely fresh, regionally grown, sustainable, and “conscientiously sourced,” with hometown brews on tap, as well as Central Coast wines and McConnell’s Ice Cream. Said Cora, “I wanted a well-rounded menu of things that I knew would ...

Santa Barbara has become known for its array of local wineries. Locals and tourists visit the Funk Zone for what is called the Urban Wine Trail, hopping from one wine tasting room to the next just a couple blocks away from the ocean. Local wineries such as Santa Barbara Winery, Lafond Winery, Kalyra Winery, Area5.1 Winery, and Carr Winery are a few local growers and vendors that have seen a major jump in interest the last few years. With the emergence of wine growers and retailers came along niche markets in the local wine industry. A good example of that is Wine Therapy Santa Barbara . At Santa Barbara Wine Therapy, people can go into a tasting room featuring local wines to and enjoy the company of family and friends while sipping on a tasty glass of wine. For many, dealing with the hassles of going out and enjoying a glass of wine just isn't ideal. Most people would rather enjoy a nice glass, or two, of wine while relaxing in the comfort of your own home. Luckily, now ...